Caring for the Strelitzia: repotting, overwintering & Co

With its colourful, bird-like flowers, the bird-of-paradise flower is a real eye-catcher in the home. In the summer she can even stand in the garden.

The Extraordinary Strelitzia (Strelitzia reginae) is a rarely cultivated container plant that displays graceful flowers in early spring and decorative, large foliage leaves the rest of the year. Like an appropriate Strelitzia-Care looks, learn here.

Caring for Strelitzia: watering

Although it looks extravagant, the Strelitzia is not very demanding when it comes to care. It should be ensured that there is no waterlogging and that the bird of paradise flower gets enough sunlight.

Bird of paradise flowers need water regularly. Especially due to the bright location and the large leaves, the water requirement is quite high. Adjust the amount of water according to the size of the plants and pots and avoid waterlogging in any case. Excess water must be removed soon after watering to prevent rot on the fleshy roots. It is best to use rainwater to

Strelitzia to water or leave the tap water for a few days. The surface of the soil should always dry slightly between watering. When the bird of paradise flower curls its leaves, it's high time to water it.
You are doing the Strelitzia a favor if you spray it with lime-free water from time to time to increase the humidity.

Below we describe how intensively the Strelitzia is poured during the winter.

The right fertilizer for Strelitzia

In the summer months, the Strelitzia is in the growth phase. During this time, it needs a corresponding amount of nutrients. For this you should use the Strelitzia with a fertilizer for flowering plants, such as ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer, supply. Our long-term fertilizer is ideal for the Strelitzia because it provides the plant with all the important nutrients over a long period of time. Since the bird of paradise flower should only rarely be repotted due to its sensitive roots, a complete fertilizer in granular form is preferable to a liquid fertilizer. The long-term fertilizer is scattered on top of the earth in spring, worked in lightly and poured on. The soil should then be covered with a layer of mulch. This ensures, among other things, that the soil does not dry out so quickly.

Cut bird of paradise flowers

In order to keep the Strelitzia healthy and beautiful, brown and dead parts of the plant are regularly removed. Brown leaf pieces can be cut off, withered flowers plucked out. If the bird of paradise flower gets too big for you, you can also cut it back more generously by removing several outer leaves at the base.

Repot Strelitzia

Spring, around March or April, is the best time to repot the bird of paradise flower. Due to the sensitivity of the roots, this should only be done when they have already started to grow out of the bottom of the pot. If you repot a Strelitzia, choose a slightly larger planter. It should not be too big, because more root space also leads to more leaf formation in the Strelitzia, but proportionately fewer flowers. Carefully lift the Strelitzia out of the container and remove the old soil. If necessary, rinse the roots with lukewarm water. The new pot should be filled with a layer of drainage and a layer of substrate. Place the plant on top of it and fill it all up with soil. Finally, press the substrate firmly and water generously. So that water and nutrients are stored well and released to the plant, we recommend a high-quality, structurally stable soil, such as ours Plantura organic potting soil. For even more stability and water storage capacity, powdered clay and expanded clay balls can also be added.

Attention: Repotting may prevent the next bloom from happening, as the roots of the Strelitzia are very sensitive. Nevertheless, you should not do without regular repotting.

Strelitzia has brown leaves: what to do?

If the Strelitzia gets brown leaves, there can be many reasons. Here we show some possible causes and suitable measures. Above all, make sure that you take good care of the bird of paradise flower and look for a suitable location for it.

• waterlogging: The most common care mistake is probably excessive watering. This can easily lead to waterlogging and, as a result, to root rot. The roots can then no longer absorb water and the leaves turn brown. Now it's time to repot and water less in the future. A drainage layer and permeable substrate are essential to avoid waterlogging. It is also important to remove excess water from the saucer.
• Dryness: If the Strelitzia has curled leaves that turn brown, this is probably due to drought. To be on the safe side, it should also be potted in fresh substrate and watered more frequently. Use good quality soil that retains water well.
• draft: Likewise, drafts can cause the leaves of the bird of paradise flower to discolour. You should look for a sheltered place for the Strelitzia, especially when it is outside in summer.
• Sun: Although the Strelitzia likes direct sunlight, it should be slowly acclimated to the light before it is placed outside in summer. Too much unfamiliar sunlight can cause burns on the leaves and brown spots due to an insufficiently efficient photosynthesis apparatus. Gradually acclimate the Strelitzia to the new environment and shade the plant at the beginning. Little by little there may be more and more light.

Tip: To keep the bird of paradise flower healthy, it should be sprayed with water regularly. Especially in winter, the higher humidity helps to prevent pest infestation.

Common pests and diseases

The robust bird of paradise flower rarely suffers from diseases and pests. If it is attacked, this usually happens in winter and is favored by dry heating air.

• spider mites: Through fine webs make themselves spider mites noticeable on plants. Sucking out the leaves creates bright spots.
• scale insects: The small pests usually hide in the leaf axils and suck out the plant sap. scale insects should be washed off the plant promptly.
• Septoria-Mushrooms: An infestation of this genus of fungi manifests itself on the bird of paradise flower as brown spots with a red edge. Affected leaves should be removed immediately.

Encourage Strelitzia to bloom

You cherish and care for your plant, but the Strelitzia is not blooming? There are various reasons for this. We give a few tips on how to get your Strelitzia to bloom.

• Incorrectly wintered: The most common cause of a lack of flowering is incorrect overwintering. Bird of paradise flowers need a bright, cool dormant period in winter to stimulate flowering. In the next section you will find out what you should consider when hibernating.
• root damaged: If the sensitive roots were damaged during repotting, this can also lead to a lack of flowering. Now it's time to wait and take good care of it until the bird of paradise flower has recovered.
• pot size: The thick roots take up a lot of space and a lot of nutrients are needed for flowering. If the pot is too small, the roots are constricted and only little nutrient-rich substrate is available. Then, in spring, carefully repot the plant into a larger container, but not too large so as not to impair flowering. If there is a lot of space for the roots, more leaves will be formed, but no flowers.
• Too little light: Strelitzias like it bright and sunny. If the plant is too dark, it may not flower. Put the bird of paradise flower in a light spot with about 6 hours of sun per day.
• Nutrient oversupply: If the bird of paradise flower is fertilized too much, especially with nitrogen and phosphorus, this can also inhibit flowering.

Tip: In summer, the Strelitzia likes to be outside. Being outdoors usually also contributes to the formation of flowers because the bird of paradise flower stays healthy and fit.

Strelitzia overwinter

the Strelitzia is not hardy with us and must be overwintered in the house. Temperatures below 10 °C are already problematic for the beautiful plant and weaken it. Nevertheless, the Strelitzia should be cooler in winter than in summer, since flowering is stimulated during the resting phase. Ask the Strelitzia for wintering in a bright place at temperatures between 10 and 15 °C. During this time, there is no fertilizer and watering is seldom, just enough so that the soil does not dry out completely.

Tip: The Strelitzia can also be overwintered warm, as long as it is in a very bright place, for example in the conservatory. In this case, it should continue to be watered a little more and supplied with slow-release fertilizer again in the fall. However, the flowering intensity of the plant can be reduced due to the warm hibernation.

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